[Darley Newman] If what you picture when you think about Newark, New Jersey, looks like this?

then take a look at this.

We're discovering what's beautiful and captivating about the largest city in the Garden State, removing The Sopranos grit to expose the shiny glamor of the Golden Age of travel and fascinating American history through the well restored and innovative spaces that are perhaps charting a new path for this city just outside of Manhattan.

By enlisting passionate historians and experts, I'm taking you into buildings, parks, and neighborhoods, places whose history, mo st intricate design elements, and backstories are often overlooked.

We are who we are because of who and what came before us.

Our built history sheds light on our shared history if we take the time to slow down and look up.

With our busy lives, we don't always take the time to look up from our devices, stay in the moment, and reflect on what's around us.

From Audible's stunning offices, a feat of engineering and splendor in a historic downtown cathedral, to modern transportation hubs that millions pass through without realizing their storied past, to an urban oasis with ties to the legendary designer of Central Park, we're revealing Newark, New Jersey, on this episode of Look Up.

One of the world's first modern airport terminals, visited by aviation pioneers like Amelia Earhart, hidden away at one of our nation's busiest airports.

The largest collection of ch erry blossom trees in the USA at an Olmsted Park, an industrial age neighborhood where behind the aluminum-sided ho mes and restaurants, waves of immigrants have created a tapestry of artistic and old-world flavors.

So much flavor!

-Yes.

[Darley] We're in Newark, New Jersey, a city blessed with a multitude of architectural gems.

I'll admit I hadn't thought much about Newark before I started to research its notable buildings, but as I began to dig a little deeper, what I found was surprising and insightful.

Join me as we get curious about Newark's past to get a greater sense of its community, future, and our American history through it s built en vironment.

Our first stop is perhaps the place Newark is known for most throughout the world, its airport.

Within sight of Terminal C, is Building 1.

-Originally started construction in 1934 and wrapped up in 1935.

A lot of really unique firsts, and a lot historical aviation figures, too, as well.

-Well, I've flown out of Newark Airport, many, many, many times.

I had no idea that Building 1 was here.

Open to the public, Building 1 today houses airport administration offices, an op erations center, police and the rescue and firefighting departments, as well as a small museum charting Newark's aviation history.

[James Gill] We're really proud of that, and first airport with a paved runway.

First with airfield lighting.

-There were so many firsts here.

[James Gill] Amelia Earhart was here for the dedication of this building with an aircraft here, as well as Charles Lindbergh.

It was the golden age of flying.

[Darley] What was it like to come through this terminal at that time?

[James Gill] It was very different.

You walked literally within 80 feet, walk in the building, and walk out the other side to get on your plane.

Families would come to be able to stand on the patio and actually watch them get on the airplane and yell to them or wave to them.

It was a really personal experience.

-I can see how it would be exciting to be dining in this restaurant in this new snazzy terminal and watching all the planes go in and out.

So, a destination in its time.

-Absolutely.

And I think, at certain points of time, there were more visitors to the airport and to the restaurant and lounge than there were passengers.

You had this sort of whole area that was ticket counters, bag claim.

So you think about what airports used to be and how they used to function in the sort of the free flowing aspect of it.

It was really innovative.

Imagine if someone opened up a facility that had flying cars, you sit there and go, wow, we got to go see that.

That's the future.

[Darley] As the airport expanded, so did the need for larger terminals, and by the end of World War II, th e bu ilding fell into disuse.

Starting in 1999, the esteemed and decades-old firm, Beyer Blinder Bell, kicked off a project to move the historic building to make room for a runway expansion project.

It was one of the largest buildings ever to be relocated in U.S. history.

How did they move an entire building?

[James Gill] The building was cut into three pieces and placed on large flatbeds, then relocated about a half a mile and then put back together, and they did a heck of a job.

[Darley] Not so easy to move an entire building, especially one with ornate terrazzo floors, marble walls, and a greenhouse-esque glass air traffic control tower on the roof.

[James Gill] This spiral staircase here leads you up to the original and first air traffic control tower.

[Darley] I need my sunglasses up here.

[James Gill] We see all glass so you can have the visibility of the whole airfield, which at the time wasn't nearly as big as it is today.

-How were they directing air traffic back then?

I would imagine that sight would be so much more important because they didn't have all the technology we're using today.

-Everything was really visual, you know, maps of the airport, seeing where the aircraft is coming and going, and clipboards.

-Well, let's see what we can direct and start today.

A lot of United flights.

[James Gill] So, we're right up against, right next to Terminal C, that's the closest.

A real piece of history here.

[Darley] In downtown Newark, we're visiting sites that shine light on Newark's African American history, places which many people pass by but may not know their interesting backstories.

Noelle Lorraine Williams, the Director of the African American History Program for the New Jersey Historical Commission, is leading me to a few of these places.

[Noelle Lorraine Williams] We're here at NJ PAC in downtown Newark.

And it's such an interesting site because you get to have modern-day Newark with Newark from the 18th and 19th centuries.

When they were building NJ PAC, they came to this kind of conundrum of what to do with these burials and how to mark the history.

There was a mixed-race burial ground, African Americans and whites were all buried here.

There are approximately 1,300 people.

They took the time to write the names of the people that they knew, and created a marker here.

We have the archway from the Military Park Hotel, which used to be at the far end of NJ PAC.

-Such a juxtaposition, Noelle, of the old and the new.

[Noelle Lorraine Williams] In a lot of ways, you know, it provides an opportunity for folks to come and reflect.

A lot of folks do not know that there were African Americans who made their lives here actually in the 1700s.

There were African Americans here during the Revolutionary War.

[Darley] Noelle's taking us to The New Hope Baptist Church to share more recent history related to a global pop icon.

I am the number one big fan of Whitney Houston.

-We're all fans of Whitney Houston, and when she passed away in 2012, it was just a major thing for all of us, and especially folks here in Newark.

It's a significant place in the trajectory of her life and the trajectory of African American history.

Whitney Houston is one of the most dynamic, internationally known pop singers.

And here she learned how to sing at this church with her mother's choir.

That's amazing.

But then it has the sad aspects to it because this is where her funeral was.

[Darley] It's really interesting to me to always look back at these iconic figures we have in the world and see where they've come from, what influenced their life, and you can see New York from here.

You can see the city from here.

So, you can think of her being in this church and singing as a child, and maybe looking over and seeing the bright lights of the city, not so far away.

[Noelle Lorraine Williams] Yeah.

And I mean, that's an important part when we think of Newark and Jersey City artists is their proximity to Manhattan, you know, that proximity to promise.

It's not that far away.

[Darley] Shaquille O'Neal, Queen Latifah, Paul Simon, Philip Roth, Jason Alexander... the list of artists, writers and celebrities from Newark is impressive, an d seeing where they came from helps to put their lives and journey in better context.

Great chefs and entrepreneurs are also rising out of many Newark neighborhoods, including the Ironbound, steps away from Newark's Penn Station.

Surrounded by a network of railroad tracks within this four-square mile community, you may feel like you've made a trip to Europe or perhaps Brazil.

Emily Manz, the co-owner of Have You Met Newark Tours, is taking me to some local favorite spots amid this destination shaped by a history of immigration and industry.

Emily, we're off the main drag.

-[Emily Manz] Yes.

I like to take people a little off the beaten path.

You know, this whole neighborhood is really built most at the turn of the century.

The Ironbound, people think of it now as like this big restaurant destination, which it certainly is, but originally, it was the big manufacturing hub for Newark, and the workers needed housing.

All the immigrants coming in to work in those factories needed housing.

People are actively coming to seek opportunity in the Ironbound, the biggest group kind of coming now is mostly from Latin America, opening new businesses, restaurants, cafes.

It's a wonderful time to be in Ironbound.

So, we're headed into Nasto's, which is an ice cream shop run by the third generation of the Nasto's family.

-[Darley] My favorite.

Yum.

-[Emily Manz] Hi.

Can we have two scoops of the sweet corn on a sugar cone?

Such a cool flavor.

Only place you can get it.

This is really one of those oldest places that you can visit.

Founded in 1939, third-generation family-owned, it's a great Ironbound classic, and kind of one of the remnants of Italian immigration here to Newark.

-[Darley] She's giving me a lot.

-[Emily Manz] That's great.

[Darley] Thank you.

Creamy, sweet corn.

-It's incredible.

I don't know, there's something about it.

Healthy, as a vegetable.

-Healthy.

The perfect dessert, I think.

[Emily Manz] We had the sweet.

Now we're doing savory.

So, this is Caseiro E Bom.

It has all different kinds of sausages and pork products.

And you're going to love it.

[Darley] So many choices.

-[Rodrigo Duarte] Hi, guys.

-[Darley] Hello.

I recognize your photo.

-Oh, thank you.

[Darley] We have quite a spread.

[Rodrigo Duarte] We have some of our Portuguese Puro Alentejano hogs that originally flew from Portugal into United States, first time ever in modern history.

And we are so proud and so, so excited to have it right here in Jersey.

[Darley] You have such a selection of the meat here.

I've never I haven't seen something exactly like this, yet, actually, in the U.S. -Yeah, it's beyond the neighborhood.

And we have people from around the U.S. shopping in our store, our holy grail of charcuterie and... -Did you just say the holy grail of charcuterie?

-Yeah.

-I think I heard that.

[Rodrigo Duarte] This chorizo carries 300 years of history.

The meat is soaking into wine for seven days, and?

-It's salty and savory.

That smoked flavor really comes through.

[Rodrigo Duarte] Yeah, yeah.

Then we have the salpicao or dry cured pork loin.

Another one, which is a goat cheese salami with Portuguese Quince Jam.

Then we have... Then we have... Then we have... [Emily Manz] I think you have to have all of it.

-Yeah.

Might as well.

I was one of nine siblings that didn't have nothing else to sustain but agriculture and farm.

And here I am, you know, spread the same passion as my ancestors left me.

These are the legacy, and I will continue to do for the rest of my life.

Yeah.

-A little bit of Portugal in Newark.

[Rodrigo Duarte] Yes.

[Emily Manz] Brazilian, Columbian, Ecuadorian.

There's so many different flavors in Ironbound but this is one of my favorites.

[Angel Leston] Hope you guys are hungry.

[Emily Manz] I really love the owner, Angel Leston.

He is first-generation American.

His father's from Spain, and he wanted to create something really creative and innovative, and his menu is constantly changing here at Casa de Paco.

He gave us a wide variety of items to choose from.

[Darley] Patatas bravas.

[Emily Manz] Yes, we have a pulpo which is octopus, which is what they're very famous for here.

And this is one of their more unique dishes that you won't see somewhere else in the Ironbound, which is a stuffed avocado.

He really draws on where he's from in his menu items.

-I think we should just dig in.

-I love that.

Yes, let's do it.

-Mmm.

Ooh, it has a little kick to it.

[Emily Manz] Yeah.

It's spicy aioli sauce.

[Darley] It's really good, but it does take a second to hit you, which is kind of fun.

-[Emily Manz] Yeah.

-[Darley] And the patatas bravas are really crispy.

Very flavorful.

-So this neighborhood has always been a place for immigrants to come to.

It was a place where originally, it was a lot of factories along the Passaic River, which, you know, people came originally from Germany and Poland.

And then now, we have a lot of immigrants coming from South America and starting businesses, and starting restaurants.

So, it's a history of immigration, but also very active immigration story.

-You guys definitely know how to eat here in the Ironbound.

[Emily Manz] Yes, that's for sure.

Cheers.

-[Darley] Cheers.

I was told I'd be remiss if I were to film anything about Newark's architecture and history and not put Liz Del Tufo on camera.

She's a Newark resident who has lived in Forest Hill for over 60 years.

You live close to the park like I live close to the park, Liz.

[Liz Del Tufo] This one is very much like Central Park.

Laid out very much the same way - long, narrow, winding roads with the great meadow in the middle.

[Darley] The president of the Newark Landmarks and Preservation Committee, Liz played a role in getting the neighborhood of Forest Hill listed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places in the early 1990s, and shares the same love for urban parks that I do.

It's these parks that also keep us sane.

[Liz Del Tufo] Oh yes.

As Olmsted said, they are the lungs of the city.

He had a wonderful philosophy.

[Darley] The Forest Hill neighborhood is adjacent to Branch Brook Park, a park that was the vision of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who planned of my all-time favorite park, New York's Central Park.

Branch Brook Park is home to thousands of cherry blossom trees, the largest collection in the United States.

The neighborhood is also a great place to meander among period revival architecture.

So many houses that are so beautiful in this neighborhood, and so different.

All the styles are so different.

[Liz Del Tufo] Yeah.

The architecture in Forest Hill is very eclectic.

See, if you look there, tucked in the back is the carriage house for the big estate that was here.

-What was the neighborhood like in its heyday?

[Liz Del Tufo] Most of the neighborhood was built up between about 1900 and 1930.

Cars became more popular.

So, the well-to-do business folks then were given the opportunity to move to the country.

And Forest Hill was indeed the country back in that period.

We all kind of stand on the shoulders of people that came before us.

You know, what they gave us, and we should take care of it, especially if it's beautiful.

[Darley] We make our way to the Ballantine gates at Branch Brook Park.

Beautiful gates, Liz.

[Liz Del Tufo] Aren't they magnificent?

Forest Hill was largely developed by Ballantine, Ballantine Brewery, and Robert Ballantine donated to the park this magnificent gateway.

This stretch of Chester Avenue which renamed Ballantine Parkway in thankfulness for the gift.

[Darley] Liz's neighbor invites us inside her early 20th century Georgian home.

The colors, peacefulness, and light give me house envy, and I can more easily imagine life in Newark and in the Forest Hill neighborhood through its various stages and ages.

Liz and I head over to the cemetery where beer-baron Peter Ballantine and many of Newark's prominent residents were laid to rest, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, one of the first so-called rural or garden cemeteries in the United States.

Liz, it's interesting to think that if we were visiting this cemetery during Victorian times, we might have been coming here to have a picnic.

-Oh, yes, yes.

That was the charm of the rural cemetery.

They were built outside the cities.

On a sunny, warm day, you could get in your horse and buggy and go off with a picnic, and bring them with your loved ones.

The Victorians had such dramatic, in some ways, views of death or ways of relating to death.

[Darley] Victorian cemeteries were designed to highlight the natural attributes of their landscape's locations, often rolling grounds with gravestones marked with beautiful and artistic symbols meant to comfort the living in the face of death.

-Well, you died much younger and infant mortality rates, they were heartbreaking.

And so that, I think the Victorians just kind of made death and the rituals involved with it part of their daily existence.

[Darley] Nowadays, we live much longer.

So, we have the luxury of time to think about things, and now we focus on things like life, death, happiness, mental wellness and all of those different aspects that they didn't have the time maybe to think about.

[Liz Del Tufo] They didn't have the luxury to think about those things, right.

But it is a place that it just affords a whole other element to Newark.

Now, it's no longer a rural cemetery.

Obviously, this city has grown up around it.

It's really an irreplaceable historic landmark, really in here, the names of the people that built the city.

-Who is buried here?

-Well, the Ballantines.

I guess the most common name in the cemetery would be Ward.

[Darley] Samuel Augustus Ward, one of the many Wards buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, wrote the famous melody for America the Beautiful while at nearby Grace Church, still today located in downtown Newark on Broad Street.

You can stop in to hear th e children's choir rehearsing and get transported back in time.

The church was designed in the 1840s by Richard Upjohn, who also designed Trinity Church on New York's Wall Street.

It is today a national historic landmark and one of Newark's many beautiful churches.

While many of Newark's historic buildings continue to serve their original purpose, others are being revitalized and reused.

Audible, a leading provider of audio books, took on a huge project when it sought to repurpose an 80,000-square foot Gothic cathedral in downtown Newark.

Its Innovation Cathedral is retrofitted with contemporary office space am id a landmark status exterior that's still intact.

Wow!

Manny, I'm looking up at that stained glass window of park and this just amazing interior.

What a great space to work in.

-Yeah, I love coming here.

It's a beautiful space.

[Darley] And the light just filtering in and all these different colors.

[Manny Antunes] Bright.

Beautiful.

It pops.

[Darley] The church's structure dates back to 1932 and is located by a public park in the James Street Commons neighborhood, an area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This was a historic church in this James Street area.

Tell me about how this project was undertaken.

-Yeah, so there's always been a church here since the 1810s.

In 2014, we decided to come into this space, and we came in and we... [Darley] Wait.

I keep finding things.

[Manny Antunes] Yeah.

You're looking at the organ screen right now.

This is all original to this space.

You get that whole view of what the church used to look like straight up from here.

[Darley] Imagine if your conference room view included organ pipe artwork.

[Manny Antunes] We decided not to make it a functioning organ anymore, but instead preserve it as a piece of art, which is why it's laid the way it is.

We actually found the guy who refurbished the organ in the 1980s to come back in, and he removed every single pipe, put it in velvet lined boxes, and then put them in storage.

[Darley] All 3,400 organ pipes!

[Manny Antunes] You can't even imagine how many different things you have to think through when you come into a space that was designed to be a space of worship, and turning into a place of work.

[Darley] How difficult was it to keep this structure so well preserved, while also building out something that's new and efficient for our modern uses?

-You know, it wasn't easy, but for us, it was fully worth it because we wanted to come into the space, preserve it as an esthetic and historic artifact, but also modernize it, make it alive.

[Darley] An engineering challenge, the office space now includes quiet nooks for reading, a restored art deco bowling alley with a 1950s pin setter, and like so many historic structures we're visiting in Newark, has an element that invites the community in.

The auditorium hosts local meetings and events.

[Manny Antunes] We completely reimagined the space and that meant, you know, having to go in and take out every single piece of stained glass, refurbishing it and preserving it during construction, and putting it back in.

[Darley] Wow, every pane of glass was taken out.

[Manny Antunes] Yeah, about 10,000 panes.

-[Darley] Wow.

-[Manny] That's kind of crazy.

Yeah, it's like the world's craziest jigsaw puzzle.

[Darley] It is a jigsaw puzzle.

[Manny Antunes] We also had to make it high tech.

We had to make it available to have Wi-Fi throughout the buildings.

There's no dead spots, right?

[Darley] I'm just catching the light as it comes in through our world, right there.

[Manny Antunes] Yeah.

We're actually looking at a style called the Peace Movement style, which has all the nations of the world coming together around a central figure in peace, which is something, you know, that's still pretty relevant to this time.

-This part of Newark, and Newark in general, so many churches.

-[Manny Antunes] Yeah.

This is a city of great religious diversity.

I mean, there's just churches around here everywhere.

And this was also a church that had 10,000 members at its peak.

And people put their heart and soul, literally, into this building.

[Darley] Do you ever put on music in here?

I think I feel like the organ should be playing.

-Yeah.

We've definitely had parties in here, especially on opening night.

It was a lot of fun.

[Darley] So, does the soundtrack you thought about for Newark sound different now?

Just wait.

There's more.

We've peeled away a few layers, bu t haven't gotten to them all.

All it takes is a little curiosity, asking a few more questions, and taking that time to be present.

[Liz Del Tufo] I love Branch Brook Park.

[Darley] And see what's before us - a city of promise, diversity, fabulous flavors, and hidden gems is right there when you only take the time to Look Up.

Thanks, Newark, New Jersey.

We appreciate you and all that you've been, and are hoping to be.

Did we coordinate on the hats?

It's ice cream.

I can handle it.

-Exactly.

-You can tell that this has been soaked in that wine for many days.

[Rodrigo Duarte] Yes.

-Sorry.

I can't speak because I'm tired right now.

[Emily Manz] That's okay.

[Darley] Hold on.

Encore.

Let's go see more.

-Absolutely.

-Show me those secret areas.